Advances in Traffic Psychology (Human Factors in Road and Rail Transport)

Traffic psychology is a rapidly expanding and broad field within applied psychology with a considerable volume of research activities and a growing network of academic strands of enquiry. The discipline primarily focuses on the behaviour of road users and the psychological processes underlying these behaviours, looking at issues such as cognition, distraction, fatigue, personality and social aspects, often delivering practical applications and educational interventions. Traffic psychology has been the focus of research for almost as long as the motor car has been in existence and was first recognised as a discipline in 1990 when the International Association of Applied Psychology formed Division 13: Traffic and Transportation Psychology. The benefits of understanding traffic psychology are being increasingly recognised by a whole host of organisations keen to improve road safety or minimise health and safety risks when travelling in vehicles. The objective of this volume is to describe and discuss recent advances in the study of traffic psychology, with a major focus on how the field contributes to the understanding of at-risk road-user behaviour. The intended readerships include road-safety researchers from a variety of different academic backgrounds, senior practitioners in the field including regulatory authorities, the private and public sector personnel, and vehicle manufacturers concerned with improving road safety. Cover 1 Contents 6 List of Figures 10 List of Tables 14 Preface 16 PART I: DRIVER PERSONALITY, EMOTIONS AND STRESS 18 1 Driven by Anger: The Causes and Consequences of Anger during Virtual Journeys 20 2 Urban and Rural Differences in Attitudes Related to Risky Driving Behaviour 34 3 Executive Function Development and Stress Effects on Driving Performance: Preliminary 52 4 Effects of Sadness on Drivers’ Behaviour: An Empirical Study Using Emotional Induction 60 PART II: DRIVER DISTRACTION AND INATTENTION 68 5 A Roadside Survey of Driving Distractions in Austria 70 6 Personality and Demographic Predictors of Aggressive and Distracted Driving 80 7 Impact of Inattention Provoked by Sadness on Older Drivers’ Behaviour 94 8 Distracting Effects of Radio News and the Effects on Train Operator Performance 102 PART III: VULNERABLE ROAD USERS 110 9 Typical Human Errors in Traffic Accidents Involving Powered Two-Wheelers 112 10 Applicability of Learner Driver Research to Learner Motorcyclists 122 11 Influence of Cognitive Bias on Young Cyclists’ Road Crossing Intentions 130 PART IV: HAZARD PERCEPTION AND RISK 142 12 Driver Fatigue: The Perils of Vehicle Automation 144 13 Knowledge of Traffic Hazards: Does It Make a Difference for Safety? 158 14 The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Speeding Behaviour of Young Drivers 166 15 Older Drivers’ Hazard Perception Performance 174 16 Predicting Traffic Accident Rates: Human Values Add Predictive Power to Age and Gender 184 17 Examining the Evidence that Drugs Impair Driving: Some Recent Findings from the Drugs 194 18 Effects of Snowfall on Seat-Belt Use 216 19 Differences in Driving Behaviours between Elderly Drivers and Middle-Aged Drivers 224 20 Older Drivers’ Reasons for Continuing to Drive 234 PART V: DRIVER BEHAVIOUR AND DRIVING SIMULATION 248 21 A Tandem Model of Proceduralization (Automaticity) in Driving 250 22 Road-Rail Level Crossings: Expectations and Behaviour 268 23 Stochastic Changes in Driver Reaction Time with Arousal State 278 PART VI: TECHNOLOGY IN VEHICLES AND USER ACCEPTANCE 286 24 Using Local Road Features and Participatory Design for Self-Explaining Roads 288 25 Behavioural Adaptation as a Consequence of Extended Use of Low-Speed Backing Aids 302 26 Enhancing Sustainability of Electric Vehicles: A Field Study Approach to Understanding 312 Index 324 Traffic psychology has been the focus of research for almost as long as the motor car has been in existence. This volume aims to describe and discuss the advances in the study of traffic psychology, with a major focus on how the field contributes to the understanding of at-risk road-user behaviour